"Ode to a Snail" – a poem by L.W. Stratton from 1955

Leonard Stratton ran the village primary school at Delrow near Watford, Herts. As a sixth-former I attended a course on land and freshwater molluscs which he and Dr H.E. Quick ran at Malham Tarn Field Centre during a spell of inappropriately dry weather in August 1955. This formed the basis of Stratton’s presidential address to the Society (J. Conch. 24 (4), 111-138, 1956). From the context of the other papers [with which it was placed] it seems likely that he produced the doggerel during the course. Later I came to know him well and am grateful to him for much personal kindness.

He was a very able teacher and used his gifts to enthuse everyone who attended the course at Malham. The combination of Stratton and Quick worked well. Quick, who was an eye surgeon in Swansea, did brilliant dissections of slugs and Succinea species, and was to be found late in the evening going round the Centre with a watering can to encourage activity during the unusually dry conditions.

The poem is reproduced as supplied (right), which helps to retain its “period” feel.